English adjective: tough | |||
1. | tough not given to gentleness or sentimentality | ||
Samples | A tough character. | ||
Similar | hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious, tough-minded, unsentimental | ||
See also | hard, insensitive | ||
Antonyms | tender | ||
2. | tough very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution | ||
Samples | A rugged competitive examination. The rugged conditions of frontier life. The competition was tough. It's a tough life. It was a tough job. | ||
Synonyms | rugged | ||
Similar | difficult, hard | ||
Antonyms | easy | ||
3. | tough physically toughened | ||
Samples | The tough bottoms of his feet. | ||
Synonyms | toughened | ||
Similar | callous, calloused, enured, hardened, inured, thickened, weather-beaten | ||
See also | experienced, experient, rugged, strong | ||
Antonyms | untoughened, tender | ||
4. | tough substantially made or constructed | ||
Samples | Sturdy steel shelves. Sturdy canvas. A tough all-weather fabric. Some plastics are as tough as metal. | ||
Synonyms | sturdy | ||
Similar | rugged | ||
Antonyms | delicate | ||
5. | tough violent and lawless | ||
Samples | The more ruffianly element. Tough street gangs. | ||
Synonyms | ruffianly | ||
Similar | violent | ||
Antonyms | nonviolent | ||
6. | tough feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad') | ||
Samples | My throat feels bad. She felt bad all over. He was feeling tough after a restless night. | ||
Synonyms | bad | ||
Similar | uncomfortable | ||
Domain usage | colloquialism | ||
Antonyms | comfortable, comfy | ||
7. | tough resistant to cutting or chewing | ||
Similar | cartilaginous, chewy, coriaceous, fibrous, fibrous, gristly, hempen, leathered, leatherlike, leathery, rubbery, sinewy, stringy, tough-skinned, unchewable | ||
See also | inedible, uneatable | ||
Antonyms | tender | ||
8. | tough unfortunate or hard to bear | ||
Samples | Had hard luck. A tough break. | ||
Synonyms | hard | ||
Similar | bad | ||
Antonyms | good | ||
9. | tough making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe | ||
Samples | A baffling problem. I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast. A problematic situation at home. | ||
Synonyms | baffling, elusive, knotty, problematic, problematical | ||
Similar | difficult, hard | ||
Antonyms | easy | ||
English noun: tough | |||
1. | tough (person) someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing | ||
Synonyms | street fighter | ||
Broader (hypernym) | battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper | ||
2. | tough (person) an aggressive and violent young criminal | ||
Synonyms | goon, hood, hoodlum, punk, strong-armer, thug, toughie | ||
Broader (hypernym) | criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bully | ||
3. | tough (person) a cruel and brutal fellow | ||
Synonyms | bully, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, yob, yobbo, yobo | ||
Broader (hypernym) | aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bullyboy, muscle, muscleman, plug-ugly, skinhead, tough guy | ||